11 June 2017

Statement by ?Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµRWA Spokesperson?Christopher Gunness

We have seen summaries in the media around issues relating to Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµRWA¡¯s mandate and our position is clear and unchanged. Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµRWA receives its mandate from the Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ General Assembly; and only the Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ General Assembly, by a majority vote, can change our mandate. In December 2016, Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµRWA’s mandate was extended for 3 years by the General Assembly by a large majority. The situation of Palestine Refugees needs to be resolved as part of a political resolution of the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. ?It is time for political action to resolve this long-standing crisis.

Background Information

Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµRWA is confronted with an increased demand for services resulting from a growth in the number of registered Palestine refugees, the extent of their vulnerability and their deepening poverty. Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµRWA is funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions and financial support has been outpaced by the growth in needs. As a result, the Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµRWA Programme Budget, which supports the delivery of core essential services, operates with a large shortfall. Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµRWA encourages all Member States to work collectively to exert all possible efforts to fully fund the Agency¡¯s Programme Budget. Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµRWA emergency programmes and key projects, also operating with large shortfalls, are funded through separate funding portals.

Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµRWA is a United Nations agency established by the General Assembly in 1949 and mandated to provide assistance and protection to some 5 million registered Palestine refugees. Its mission is to help Palestine refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, West Bank and the Gaza Strip achieve their full human development potential, pending a just and lasting solution to their plight. Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµRWA services encompass education, health care, relief and social services, camp infrastructure and improvement, protection and microfinance.

For more information, please contact:

Christopher Gunness
Spokesperson, Director of Advocacy & Strategic Communications
Mobile:
+972 (0)54 240 2659
Office:
+972 (0)2 589 0267
Sami Mshasha
Chief of Communications, Arabic Language Spokesperson
Mobile:
+972 (0)54 216 8295
Office:
+972 (0)258 90724